Livernois Motorsports F-150 EcoBoost Tuners Add Big Power

As the first rear-wheel drive application of Ford’s EcoBoost technology, the 2011-12 F-150 EcoBoost is the first attempt many tuners get at hacking this turbocharged engine. The potential within the 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6 is especially tempting for F-150 truck owners to want to tap into, as the big-displacement twin-turbo motor is capable of producing far more power than Ford lets it when it leaves the factory.

Leave it to Livernois Motorsports to bring out the full potential in Ford’s own EcoBoost engine. We had a chance to test out the AIW EcoBoost MYCALIBR8OR tuning device available exclusively through Livernois, and the test results, even on 91 octane, were impressive.

But there is more to tuning the complicated engine and drivetrain of the F-150 EcoBoost than just cranking up the boost and hoping for more horsepower. Livernois and its master tuners had to alter and re-program many aspects of the entire EcoBoost drivetrain and transmission to not only increase power, but improve throttle responsiveness and shifting points as well.

This exclusive tuning software alters many aspects of the F-150 EcoBoost’s performance with dyno-proven air/fuel/spark timing adjustments. Livernois cranks the boost up by just 1.5 to 2lbs. (depending on the aggressiveness of the tune and the fuel octane level). The tunes are available for multiple octane levels, with Livernois claiming peak horsepower gains of 69 rear-wheel horsepower and 88 ft-lbs of torque. However, peak horsepower gains see the tuned F-150 EcoBoost picking up 104 horsepower and 114 ft-lbs of torque on 93 octane.

The tuning software goes beyond even the engine, tweaking the transmission to deliver a superior driving experience. The AIW tuning device reduces the transmission torque management and modifies the shifting points and firmness of the shifts. The tuner can also have towing-specific tunes applied for those of you who actually use your truck as a truck.

For those of you looking for tire-shredding performance, the AIW tuner also eliminates the top speed limiter, allowing you to take your twin-turbo pickup as fast as you dare.

The plug-and-play setup couldn't be simpler, and each tuner can hold both the stock and custom tunes

The tuner will even make adjustments for the size of your tires. How is that for intelligent?

Testing Livernois’ F-150 EcoBoost tuner

We decided to test Livernois’ system for ourselves to see just how much power it could find. Our truck was a 4×4 model (though we ran it in 2wd mode) and after driving it to our shop, we gave it about 30 minutes to cool down before laying down our base run where it made 304.38 horsepower and 335.68 ft-lbs.

We then switched over to the custom tune for 91 octane, and managed to make an extra 36.15 horsepower and 46.35 ft-lbs of torque over stock at peak, with a new total of 340.53 horsepower and 382.03 ft-lbs. Where you see the big power gains is above 5,800 rpm where the tune is making 63.14 horsepower and 57.16 ft-lbs. The tune helps extend the power band an additional 700 rpm over stock.

While we didn’t get a chance to take our EcoBoost F-150 to the track, Livernois has produced very respectable numbers from their track mules. Claiming the two quickest known EcoBoost F-150’s in the country, one of them is a crew cab 4×4 that is also equipped with a Livernois downpipe has ran 13.01 at 102 mph, while weighing in a hefty 5,986 pounds with the driver. The other with similar mods has gone 13.3 at 100 mph. Not bad for a truck that can get over 20 mpg and also tow another vehicle to the track with it!

Livernois' tuner is pretty darn fool proof. The tuner will identify the vehicle, walk you through a few yes or no prompts, save the stock tune, and then flash the PCM with the Livernois custom tune. The tuner holds four tunes and the custom tunes can be swapped out via a personal PC.

Where you see the big power gains is above 5,800 rpm where the tune is making 63.14 horsepower and 57.16 ft-lbs. The tune helps extend the power band an additional 700 rpm over stock. Adding horsepower to your EcoBoost F-150 has never been easier.